CONTRIBUTED BY
THE OPELIKA LIBRARY
OPELIKA — After a highly competitive national search, Opelika Public Library is one of just 20 public libraries nationwide to host Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works That Inform, Empower & Inspire, a traveling exhibition produced by The Pulitzer Prizes in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA).
Pulitzer on the Road will be on display at Opelika Public Library, along with a series of related special events, from Nov. 5, 2027 to Dec. 20, 2027. Pulitzer on the Road brings together powerful examples of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism books, drama and music offering visitors a chance to explore the stories, images and creative works that capture history, American life and the world around us.
Part of a new nationwide tour running from 2026 to 2028, Pulitzer on the Road connects communities with the people and ideas behind Pulitzer Prize-winning works, while highlighting the essential role of journalism, arts and letters in a democratic society.
“We are incredibly proud to be one of only 20 public libraries in the country selected to host Pulitzer on the Road,” said Library Director Rosanna McGinnis.
“Libraries have always been places where people come to discover ideas and explore perspectives beyond their own to better understand the world around them. This exhibition gives our community an opportunity to engage with some of the journalism, literature, music and art that has shaped our understanding of American life. More than anything, I hope it sparks conversations and a desire to keep learning long after visitors leave the exhibit.”
Spanning 1,400 square feet, the exhibition features six thematic sections with interactive elements and video and audio components. Visitors will encounter Pulitzer Prize-winning photography alongside headlines, book covers, cartoons, playbills and other materials. Highlights of the exhibition include Pulitzer Prize-winning works such as:
Iconic photographs from World War II and wars in Vietnam, Ukraine and the Middle East, and of figures such as American presidents and Olympic athletes
Reporting with national impact on public opinion and policy, such as the Watergate scandal, the Pentagon Papers, as well as from local newspapers across the country
Works of literature such as poetry by Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost; fiction by Toni Morrison and John Steinbeck; and drama by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Arthur Miller
Music winners such as Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan
An interactive station where visitors can view examples of impactful Pulitzer-winning journalism from local and regional media outlets from their home
The exhibition is recommended for audiences high school age and older. In addition to the traveling exhibition on loan, Opelika Public Library received a $3,000 cash grant to support exhibit-related public programs.
We will be announcing additional programing to accompany the exhibit in the coming months.
For more information about Pulitzer on the Road and related programming at Opelika Public Library, visit www.opelikalibrary.com or follow us @opelikalibrary on social media.
To learn more about Pulitzer on the Road
Visit ALA.org/Pulitzer. Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works that Inform, Empower & Inspire is a collaboration between The Pulitzer Prizes and the American Library Association.
About Opelika Public Library
Opelika Public Library empowers the community to have fun while they discover, connect and grow.
About The Pulitzer Prizes
The Pulitzer Prizes are annual awards given for excellence in 23 categories across journalism, books, drama and music. Established in 1917 and administered at Columbia University, the prizes were endowed by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher, who also established a journalism school at Columbia upon his death. Finalists are proposed by juries in each category, with the winners selected by a 19-member board composed of leading journalists, news executives, academics and persons in the arts.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For nearly 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.
